Officials take swine flu precautions at Md. state fair

4-H members from all over are loading up their animals and heading to the state fair, and with six cases of swine flu reported in Queen Anne's County, Maryland State Fair officials said they aren't taking any chances.

At the Maryland State Fair, Carroll County Sophomore Brittany Lippy unloads her blue butt pig, Mecca. He is the first pig in the swine barn.

"My favorite part of summer is the fair," Lippy said. "I love it."

But this year there a lot of changes at the swine barn. Each of the pens are being sprayed with a bleach solution, and warning signs are posted with safety tips.

Across the nation, 230 human cases of swine flu have been reported. It's a different strain than just a few years ago that's spread through direct contact with pigs.

In Queen Anne's County, six cases were confirmed last week, and fair officials are taking numerous precautions.

"(We've) taken out all the bedding and replacing it all," Assistant State Fair General Manager Andy Cashman said. "We're really prepared for it."

"It's a lot different than other years. They've been strict on them, but this year they're going full throttle, so washing my hands after every time I touch them is very important, and the visitors know that they shouldn't reach into the pen to pet the pigs," Lippy said.

The state fair is taking other precautions as well. For the first time, they are not allowing pigs in the petting zoo.

"At the racing pen, they usually have a picture time and holding of the pigs. They're not going to do that. At the birthing center, we normally let the pigs be touched and get petted after they're born, and that's not going to happen this year, just to be cautious," Cashman said.

Department of Agriculture officials will be monitoring the swine barn around the clock, and animal health inspectors, like Daniel Mast, who work specifically for the fair board, are checking the pigs.

"We're here at the gate checking all the livestock as they come through the gate, checking their health papers to make sure they are current and up to date," Mast said.

But officials said the best defense is hand-washing, and that's while you'll find plenty of soap, water and sanitizers at the barns this year.